A new study has identified a previously undescribed role for a type of unconventional T cell with the potential to be used in the development of new therapies for infection and cancer. The study, published today in Nature Communications, shows that Gamma Delta T cells are able to generate immunological memory against previous infections and cancerous targets. The results challenge the textbook description of Gamma Delta T cells as ‘natural born killers’ with an innate ability to recognise and destroy abnormal cells.

In the most arid areas where there is little to no water, there live nematodes of no more than 1 mm which feed on bacteria and help to mineralise soil and produce nutrients. In an orchard of Jaén a new species has appeared with a feature that makes them unique on the Iberian Peninsula: the males lack the copulatory organ. The southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, especially the southeastern tip, does not offer a very welcoming setting for these species. But despite the water deficit, nematodes, which are extremely small worms, known popularly as microworms, feed on bacteria they find in decomposing organic matter or on waste-strewn soil in order to survive.

A father and son from a village in the Tianlin County (China) gather firewood from the nearby forest (Nick Hogarth, CIFOR).

Village communities in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South America have not been using local forest resources as sustainably as is often assumed. This is the conclusion of a study published by scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) together with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and Wageningen University in science journal Environment Research Letters. According to the study, in 90% of the 233 villages analysed at least one forest product such as firewood, timber, food or animal feed has declined over five years.

Research led by University of Birmingham scientists has found that people suffering from the adrenal disorder known as Addison’s disease suffer from an immune system defect which makes them prone to potentially deadly respiratory infections. The study, published online in the European Journal of Endocrinology, shows for the first time that patients with primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) have natural killer immune cells (NK) – which provide frontline protection against invading pathogens - that are not functioning properly in Addison’s disease.